Question about 1st down measurements, or lack thereof

denguegopher

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It seems that they very rarely bring out the chains anymore, and if the ballcarrier gets anywhere near the 1st down marker the side judge waves the chain gang forward, "first down." I have thought about this and is it 1) to speed up the game, 2) because they just eyeball it when the place the ball on 1st downs (i.e., the kickoff is returned to the 23 1/2 yard line, the chain gang guy places his 1st down stick at about that spot on the sideline), they can do the same when when a running back gets near a 1st down or a receiver goes OB near that marker (eyeball it without bringing out the chains). 3) My eyes are old and my perceptions of reality are flawed. Any refs out there, what is going on?
 

I've noticed this from both O & D perspective. Times when I thought the D stopped an opponent and they don't even measure, and times I thought our O might have been stopped and they just gave us the first down. Gotta be a total game time thing (heaven forbid that they would trim some TV commercial stoppage).
 

Also take into consideration that their is a review process.
 

Also take into consideration that their is a review process.

We got shafted by the review process on Saturday night. The review official overturned what looked to be a first down for us. The Fox Sports telecast official who was asked for his opinion was dumbfounded by change in the call. Bottom line, if any team can get screwed over by the officials on a semi regular basis it is the Gophers. Not saying there is a conspiracy, just that we don't have enough cachet for things to go our way. I have come to accept it as a fact of life.
 

We got shafted by the review process on Saturday night. The review official overturned what looked to be a first down for us. The Fox Sports telecast official who was asked for his opinion was dumbfounded by change in the call. Bottom line, if any team can get screwed over by the officials on a semi regular basis it is the Gophers. Not saying there is a conspiracy, just that we don't have enough cachet for things to go our way. I have come to accept it as a fact of life.

I was at the stadium, and there was a clear angle they played on the video board that was pretty clear we were short. Don't know why TV wouldn't have it.
 


I was at the stadium, and there was a clear angle they played on the video board that was pretty clear we were short. Don't know why TV wouldn't have it.

Good to know. They certainly didn't show the angle you refer to on the FS1 broadcast, hence the feeling we got the shaft.
 

I think if we start winning games regularly with PJF in the good graces of the refs, we will eventually get calls in our favor.
 

In some of these cases, the ball was placed just on or just past something obvious, such as the 30 yd. line when it started at the 20, or such. There were a couple of questionable ones, but the only really questionable one was, IMO, the one that was overturned (against us). The rest seemed correct.
 

The refs lack of due justice on so many "close" calls by just eyeing it has ticked me off for a long time.
FYI: I do the down box for college football and the refs always start change of possession on a yard line.


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